Town Square

Prosecutor: Ayres verdict brings relief to victims

Original post made
on May 17, 2013

After years of legal wrangling, Dr. William Hamilton Ayres, an 81-year-old former San Mateo psychiatrist accused of molesting boys during examinations in the 1990s, has pleaded no contest to the charges against him.

Posted by Huh?
a resident of another community
on May 17, 2013 at 9:59 am

I don't really get how McKowan or Wagstaffe can be claiming any victory here. If the case was "airtight", Ayres should have been sentenced long ago. This is either incompetence on the part of Wagstaffe and McKowan, or willful misconduct (they were trying to avoid subjecting their employer, San Mateo County, to civil lawsuits and liability for Ayres behavior as a San Mateo County official).

Based on the state bar censure and discipline of McKowan [factual error removed], I tend to believe the latter.

As terrible as Ayres was, and as much as his victims deserve justice, he's not in a position to do any more damage. Wagstaffe is and continues to.

Posted by Fact check
a resident of Atherton: other
on May 17, 2013 at 12:00 pm

No factual error from Huh?. 9th circuit federal court has ruled more than once that Wagstaffe committed civil rights violations as a prosector (e.g., excluding black jurors from deciding the fate of a black defendant).

Posted by Jonathan
a resident of Menlo Park: Felton Gables
on May 17, 2013 at 2:49 pm

This case is closely similar to the case of Dr. Mel Levine out on the east coast, but his case emerged later than Ayres' case. Levine was a pediatrician who became well known for his writings and philosophies about learning-different kids. He was heavily involved with a nonprofit institute called All Kinds of Minds. He even had the support of Charles Schwab. In 2005, Scholastic Press named Dr. Levine the most admired person in education. Nonetheless, he too conducted improper genital examinations and more, and got away with it for years. He was never sent to prison but committed suicide two years ago as a civil case against him was about to begin.